What could go wrong?
by Sword of Daylight
Summary: After a hard training session with Blinky, Jim finds an interesting item on the ground in trollmarket. Toby tries to convince him that it's probably cursed, but Jim doesn't really listen. Too bad that Toby might be right about it and Jim has to learn it the hard way.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Just a little 'having fun' story to laugh. There will be two short chapters. (probablyxD)

Enjoy it ;)

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Jim yawned awkwardly, stretching his tired arms into the air, as he and Tobes strode through the trollmarket. The young trollhunter had been through an ordeal of a training session with Blinky, which he never had before in this severity. And of course, he was tired beyond comprehension right now. If it wasn't for Tobes, who held him up right, he would probably just slam onto the ground, falling asleep right then and there.

„Owww...everything hurts..." he groaned, using Tobes shoulder to steady himself.

„After almost being crushed by one of the platforms and nearly sliced by the sharp blades, I'd say that, too..." Toby said, with a sympathetic look on his face, patting his best friends shoulder. Though he couldn't resist to grin.

„I think I'll feel that tomorrow." Jim grumbled and yawned again, when his eyes suddenly fall upon something on the ground near them.

Curiosity struck him at once and he leaped forward, all tiredness almost vanished.

„Tobes, look!" he bent down. But just before he could grab it, Toby jerked him back at his turtleneck with a little to much force that left him stumbling backwards and into the nearest wall.

„What the hell?" Jim exclaimed, slightly annoyed and definitely confused.

„Dude! Don't just touch something that's on the ground!" the chubby teen snapped exasperated, waving his hands dramatically in the air.

„Tobes, I'm way beyond that age by now." Jim grunted, crossing his arms. „It could be cursed, for all we know!" Toby imitated the gesture of crossing his arms and squinting at his friend.

The young trollhunter just let out an amused snort. „And I thought I'm the paranoide one." he shook his head in amusement, shrugging of Toby's concerns and leaning back down to grab the shining little object. Viewing it closer, it was a plain, small ring with a shining green gem in it.

„It's beautiful." Jim whispered in a low, admiring voice, looking at the ring from all angles.

„You think Claire would like it?" without a second thought...or Toby trying to stop him, he slipped the ring on his index finger. It fitted perfectly.

„You really should take it off again, Jim. It is definitely cursed." Toby really seemed uneased with this, stepping back a few steps.

„Oh, come on, Tobes. What could possibly go wrong?" since he never knew what happened with the cursed box, Bagdwella had given them to deliver - which Jim had passed on to Toby and Claire - he wasn't really aware of the severe consequences of a cursed object. For him, it was just a plain ring, which he would love to show to Claire.

Toby looked at his best friend, agape.

„Seriously? You just happen to find a ring in Trollmarket oh, and 'surprise' it fits a human hand?" Toby gestured to his own small, chubby fingers, what made Jim snort again.

„Not all Trolls have large hands. It's fine. Trust me." Jim put an asureing hand on his friends shoulder, right before he turned around, making his way back to the entrance of trollmarket.

„Hmpf. Don't say I didn't warn you." the stoud teen almost grumbled in annoyance, but followed Jim anyways.

As they had descended the crystal staircase, reaching the top, Jim waited on the last crystal for Tobes to open the portal which lead unter the Arcadia Oaks main bridge.

But suddenly, a loud cracking noise tensed the boy up. He looked down to his feet, just to see the crack in the crystal right beneath him. The same moment, he lost the ground underneath. With a terrified yelp, Jim leaped forward as his balance was thrown of by the crumbling piece of crystal underneath his feet and clinged on to the edge, his feet now dangling dangerously into the deep below. Toby screamed in horror and surprise at the same time, but nevertheless flung his chubby body forward, grabbing Jim's wrists not a second to soon. „Hold on! I've got ya!" Toby almost yelled, strained with the effort to pull his best friend from certain doom and onto the save perimeters of the solid stone ground. Jim, lying flat on his stomach, while Toby was on his back, they both huffed in exhaustion.

„You almost hit rock bottom...literally!" barked Toby, not really sounding mad but there was the faint sound of fear in his voice.

„Thanks...Tobes..." Jim still panted slightly when he pushed himself off the ground to look at the crystal, that was now missing a huge chunk on the side.

„Well...that happened." he mumbled.

He heard his friend snort in disbelief. „THIS does not just happen!" he yapped furiously, pointing feverishly to the ring on Jim's hand.

„Those crystal don't break with a noodle like you on top!"

Jim raised his eyebrows.

„I'm not sure if I should feel insulted or not." he almost chuckled in amusement of Toby's exaggerated reaction.

Back to his feet, Jim dusted of his pants and blue sweater, before he turned to look at Toby. „Come on, it was just a coincidence." the teen grabbed the Hornganzle and finished the portal.

Soon after, they were on the way back home.

„I told you, it's cursed. Just take the damn thing off already." insisted Toby all the while they were walking side by side, until the taller one turned to his friend, his back, towards the empty street.

„And I told you it's not." Jim let out a sigh. He still was pretty sure it was just a coincident, tho' it actually got him thinking a little. Besides, it wasn't like he didn't wanted to take the ring off. Honestly. He just couldn't. He already tried while Toby wasn't looking, but the ring won't come off. It was stuck on his finger, which...on second thought...wasn't a good sign, was it?

The next moment suddenly happened so fast, none of them could've reacted to it in time.

Out of nowhere, a tire came flying towards them with great speed and with a loud _'thud'_ , it hit Jim in the back of his head. The sheer forced smashed him face first right into the thorn bushes next to the sidewalk, leaving him almost stunted in shock. He wasn't even able to scream in surprise with the impact, but instead with the pain that followed after. He could feel the branches leaving scratches and the thornes piercing through the soft skin of his face.

 _Where the heck did that came from?_

Toby hissed, a mixture of concern and actual amusement all the same. „Uhhg. That looked like it hurts." he flinched, tho' it wasn't really meant serious as he chuckled slightly.

„You think?" growled Jim, definitely not amused at all and especially not with the malicious joy Toby's having.

„Help me out!"

With a little effort, the smaller teen pulled his friend out of the bushes, but couldn't stop himself from almost toppling over with laughter, seeing Jim's face, thornes still stuck in some places. He looked like he hugged a hedgehog way to close.

Trying to calm himself down, Toby stifle his laughter and without hesitation, he picked one of the thornes and pulled it out. Jim flinched. „Ow!" The thrones were just deep enough that it would hurt, but not bleed when pulled out, but Toby somehow seemed satisfied about it anyways. Probably a payback for not listening to him about the ring.

„Nope...still not cursed. Just an accident." Jim muttered, flinching again as Toby picked another thorne. Tho' the flying tire does seemed odd, even for their standards.

„If you say so." and another one leaving him flinch, a quiet whine left Jim's throat.

In the end, Toby removed 6 thorns from Jim's skin.

„My face feels sore..." the teen mumbled, rubbing his skin gently.

„Seriously. Where the hell came that tire from?" Jim looked around. As he listened carefully, he could hear a siren in the neighborhood. Maybe a car accident down the street?

The boy sighed and both started moving again.

It wasn't to long, until they finally reached home. Tho' Jim protested against it, Toby insisted upon accompany him inside the house, just to make sure.

The second they opened the front door, Barbara shot at them, gleaming with concern and anger because her son was way too late. But right before she could breath in the air she would need to shout at them, she halted her breath, finally realizing the bruises and scratches on Jim's face.

„Honey!" she leaped forward, taking his face between her hands, examine him carefully. All her fury vanished in an instant as her motherly instinct of protection kicked in. „What happened?" she looked terrified, worried, to say the least and she glanced at Toby for a moment, before Jim could explain. This might be the first time, since he started being the trollhunter, that he didn't had to lie, why he was hurt.

„I got hit by a flying tire and got knocked into a thorn bush." tho' as he said it, he noticed, it sounded as unbelievable as fighting trolls. Slight embarrassment flooded over his already red face and he found his feet suddenly being much more interesting.

Barbara looked aghast, obviously confused.

„A flying tire?"

She shook her head in disbelief, nevertheless worried. „Sit down, I'll get the disinfectant." with that, she turned around and ran up the stairs, while Jim found his place on the large couch, Toby standing in front of him, smirking wildly.

„You still think it's not cursed?" he crossed his arms. It was obvious that he enjoyed being right with the ring.

„Yes, I do. It was just an...accident." although, he wasn't so sure himself anymore.

„Seriously. Just take it off." Toby demanded, much more serious now.

„I...can't. It won't come off." Jim lifted his hand, showing the ring. Toby's look was getting stern.

Without a warning, he grabbed Jim's hand and tried pulling the ring off of the finger.

Of course it didn't budge.

Toby grunted unamused. „I'll get that thing off of ya, don't you worry."

The next thing Jim knew, was Toby almost ripping out his arm, when he tried to pull with both hands now. Jim yelped in pain as his friend yanked at the ring, which only resolutes in yanking HIM off the couch and stretching his muscles, bones and skin to an extent where it really started to hurt.

„Come on, come on! Almost!" Toby said through gritted teeth and without another thought he lifted his foot into Jim's face (without actually noticing it) to keep him on the couch, tearing further at the ring.

The taller teen yelled in surprise and pain, more than just a little confused what the heck Toby was doing, waving his free arm in the direction of the other teen. „S-stop it! Stop!" he gasped.

Finally noticing his doings, Toby stopped in his motion, laughing nervously, as he retreated his foot from Jim's face. „Ehehehe...sorry." he laughed awkwardly and rubbing the back of his head, while Jim rubbed his now even more sore muzzle, shooting a glance at his friend.

In the corner of his eye, Jim saw his mother rushing down the stairs and she came to a halt in front of him. A confused look appeared on her face, as she realized the red shoe print on her son's face.

„Wh...How?" she knew it must be Toby's, but the reason escaped her obviously.

Toby laughed nervously and backed away to the front door again.

„He-he-he, well, I'm off. See ya tomorrow Jimbo. Good night, Dr. L." and he was gone.

Barbara looked her son up who just waved a hand.

„Don't ask."

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Happy to hear your thoughts on this one :D


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning started even worse.

Moaning, Jim rolled onto his stomach, snuggling into his soft pillows. His arm slipped out under the blankets, falling down besides his bed while his fingers slightly brushed the floor.

A short but comfortat sigh left his throat as he opened one eye to look at his alarm clock.

He froze in an instant.

 **8:50**

„Holy crap!" Jim yelled, completely shocked and stumbled out of his bed, just to faceplant on the rug.

„I'm so late! I'm so late! Stupid clock!"

He had overslept.

Quickly, he gathered himself up from the ground and jumped to his desk his phone was on. 13 missed calls from Tobes. How could he not have heared them? Dang it!

Jim never got himself showered and dressed as fast as this morning. Within 15 minutes, he was on his bike, mumbling all the way down the road. „I'm so late, I'm so late…"

The teen almost crashed against the door of the classroom, which slammed open with a loud bang, drawing everyone's attention onto him.

„Mr Lake. You're late." Señor Uhl stated with his austrian accent and his stern voice that froze the blood in Jim's veins. He coughed nervously.

„I'm Sorry, Señor Uhl...I...my alarm didn't went off..." he mumbled uncomfortable and rushed to his place next to Toby, sliding into his seat and ducking down embarrassed.

„Dude! It's the ring. It's a bad luck totem or something!" he heard Toby whisper next to him, an uncertain urgency in his voice.

„It's not the ring, Tobes, I just overslept." grunted Jim back, but froze the second he saw the towering shadow in front of him. He looked up, just to see the irritatingly calm face of his least favorite teacher.

„Mr Lake. Would you mind coming to the front and read out your assignment to the class?" Señor Uhl had crossed his arms with an almost amused smile.

For a second, Jim slipped even further down his chair, feeling all eyes on him. His heart pounded against his chest. Why on earth was he more afraid of Señor Uhl than of Bular?

He coughed again.

With no other options at hand, he stood up slowly, a last, pleading look to his best friend who just shrugged uncomfortable. Jim wasn't even sure what he was suppose to say. He totally forgot about the assignment and what it was about in the first place. Otherwise he could just improvise, but now he was at a complete and utter loss.

He managed to slither his way to the front, spearing as much time as he could in the silent hope the bell would save him from certain humiliation, but it was something entirely different that seemed to 'save' him. At least from the assignment, not the humiliation.

In his rising panic, he looked down and noticed his shoelace was open. It was just a quick reflex to bend down (a little to fast), just to find the teachers desk halfway stopping his movement. A loud _'knock'_ rang through the class, as Jim's head collided with the sturdy desk. He shot back up, holding his forehead and stumbling backwards to the ground, a yelp stuck in his throat. Immediate laughter broke out, in which even Señor Uhl joined in.

Jim really wished there would be a whole in the ground he could sink in right now. But his thoughts were cut off in an instant.

Another cracking noise echoed through the class and everyone gasped as the ceiling suddenly broke open and a pipe from the air duct came crashing down, right at the spot where Jim had stand just a second ago.

Everyone was dead silent. The shock on their faces when they saw how close the rubble was clastered in front of Jim, who instinctively had pulled his legs back to his chest.

Even Señor Uhl was standing there, aghast.

The teen was still sitting on the ground, the air duct barely touching his feet. He was as shocked as the rest of the class, not even realising the tear in his eye from when he hit his head on the desk. He was just staring blankly at the rubble, but he could feel Toby's glance on his back.

 _/It can't be…/_ he thought, suddenly feeling the ring on his finger more pronounced than before.

He finally managed to scramble back to his feet and dusted off his clothe again.

Just a few minutes later, Señor Uhl released them from the classroom, which was perfectly fine with Jim. Tho' he was getting a little fed up with the unwanted attention of his classmates, who suddenly started to worry about him of almost being crushed to death. Ironic, actually. If he would tell them, that this wasn't the first time he nearly got crushed to death, because he was fighting trolls twice his size, they would freak out. Or probably declair him as mentally ill, which was more likely.

With a sigh, he leaned against his locker, his gaze fixed upon the ring on his finger, while Toby was right next to him rummaging in his locker.

„I told you a couple of times now, it's this stupid thing. Dude! You have to get rid of it!" Toby almost growled sternly, lifting his head over the locker door.

„Hm...Yeah. We should get to Blinky after school." Jim said, not even looking at his friend who got up again. With another sigh, he turned around, thrusted his spanish book into his locker and slammed the door with a little to much force shut, that the whole line of blue lockers shivered.

Toby was already on his way to the cafeteria, when Jim heard a weird crunching noise, as if metal started to bend in ways it's not supposed to do so. He wasn't sure where it came from, but he didn't even paid much attention to it.

Well, at least until he heard Toby scream his name and indicating furiously at something behind him. Jim turned just in time to see the lockers tipping over towards him.

„Holy-!" The teen barely managed to throw himself forward to avoid the crushing lockers, but his landing failed miserably as he faceplanted onto the concrete.

„Oh my gosh, Jim! It's the curse! The curse!" Toby jumped next to his friend, seriously worried now.

Jim panted slightly, his eyes fixed on the fallen lockers behind him. Other students were already streaming out of their classes after they heard the racket outside.

„Cursed...definitely cursed!" the taller boy winced.

„We have to get to Blinky, NOW!"

Without another second to spare, they were gone.

„I can't believe it's really cursed..." Jim mumbled on the way to the Arcadia Oaks main Bridge.

„Dude! I've been telling you this the whole time." Toby pinched his friends arm in frustration. „I know, I know." Jim rubbed the sore spot.

A sudden and very loud bark let both of them stop in their tracks as soon as they had reached the canals.

"Don't tell me…" Jim mutterted, really tensed up by now, but never finished his sentence.

Slowly, they turned around and what they saw almost let them froze in place. It was a very...very big dog, probably a greyhound, Toby assumed in a terrified whisper.

And it looked hungry.

None of them moved for a few seconds, eying each other carefully. The dog looked emaciated, but it was difficult to tell, since greyhounds ALWAYS look like they haven't eaten in month.

All of a sudden, it got into a slow run, approaching them. It got faster and faster until it broke into a full speed run. Damn, that thing was freaking fast.

Jim and Toby braced themselves.

„Whatever you do, don't-!" The smaller teen started in a low whisper, tensed with the approaching dog, but was cut off the second Jim took off in the direction of the forest on the other side of the canal.

„...run...they chase what flees..." even though no one heard it, Toby finished his sentence anyways, bracing for the dog that sped towards him. But it actually passed him at full speed, following the dark-haired teen insteat.

Jim was running for his life, zick zacking through the trees. Instinct mixed with fear kept him running, even though his brain said otherwise. But with his practically non existent luck at the moment, he choose to keep much...much distance between him and the unfortunately fast dog.

Every now and then he passed Toby, who had caught up to them but the dog didn't even seemed to care about the other teen.

„Tobes! A little help?!"

„Just stop running, Jimbo!" the answer came quick from Toby, who just stood there, arms crossed as if he was waiting for a friend who was messing around to get dressed.

Jim gulped. Was there no other way? He bit his lower lip, suppressing all his instincts to keep running and he came to a sudden hold, turning back to the approaching dog.

The greyhound on the other hand wasn't stopping at all...he was gaining...very fast...barking madly like a wild animal.

Jim shuddered visibly.

„Nope! Nope, nope, nope!" he turned on his heels and broke into a sprint again.

Toby let out an exasperated sigh.

„You can fight Bular head on, but you're scare of a dog?"

„At least I can hurt Bular, but there is now way I strike a dog down, that's animal cruelty!" Jim yelled and almost tripped on an upturned root.

„Just climb a tree, then! Dogs can't climb." Toby yelled back, he wasn't sure if he was feeling pity for his friend or annoyance that he's make such a fuzz out of it. Well, he was the one to talk, he wasn't followed by a vicious dog.

Without any further thought, Jim did what his friend suggested. With a great leap, he literally smashed into a tree, hugging the trunk like his life depended on it. But it was just a second to late that he realised, that he wasn't even close to be high enough for the dog not getting at him.

A sharp pain rose from his rear bottom and he cried out loud that even Toby flinched instinctively.

The greyhound was tearing at the fabric of the Jeans he got between his fangs, while Jim was clinging onto the trunk with his arms and legs furled around it even harder.

The fabric not capable of withstanding such force, gave in with a loud tearing noise and the dog retreated, his mouth full of the jeans material and obviously happy.

Jim was still hugging the tree, his eyes shut tight.

„Is he gone? Please tell me he's gone."

Toby snorted, barely able to keep his voice stern. „He's gone."

Relieved, Jim slid down to the ground, but the second his bottom touched the floor, he flinched and jumped up.

„Ow! What the?" he immediately tried to take a look, turning and twisting to his back side, until he stopped, feeling the cold air brush his now bare skin.

The dog had ripped a hole in his jeans, (down to his underpants) that was now displaying his rear bottom with some red streaks from the sharp fangs.

„You gotta be kidding me..." Jim exclaimed frustrated, waving his hands in the air.

Toby couldn't hold it any longer, he bursted into in laughing fit, rolling on the floor with tears in his eyes.

Jim buried his face inside his hands, really embarrassed at this point. „I so hope Blinky can help me..."

Not more than a few, uneventful minutes later, they arrived at the scholar's library at trollmarket.

The six eyed troll was sitting at the table, deep in thought as the two boys entered.

„Blinky! You have to help me!"

Jim's voice seemed to startle the troll, but as soon as Blinky looked up, a worried expression crossed his face, alerted to the uneasy sound of the humans pleading.

„Master Jim. What seems to be troubling you?" he came to his feet, as Jim and Toby hurried over.

„You have to get this damn ring off of my finger! It's cursed!" Jim nearly screamed the last words and shoved his hand unter Blinky's nose.

The scholar froze for a second, seemingly nervous and grabbed the human child's hand. He examined the said ring carefully, but his eyebrows rose slightly when he looked back up at the young trollhunters face.

„And what curse do you claim this ring might hold?"

„A bad luck totem or something like that. I don't know. Since I put it on, I'm having more bad luck than in my entire life!"

„Yeah!" Toby interjected. "He got smacked by a flying tire and faceplanted into a thornbush. And he got nearly crushed by the air vents and the lockers at school and a giant dog just bit his-!" Toby was cut off by Jim who had slammed a hand over his mouth.

„Ah..I see." Blinky started, rubbing his chin in concern.

„My deepest apologys, Master Jim. But this ring isn't cursed."

Both Jim and Toby looked taken aback.

„What?"

„How can this thing NOT be cursed? I can't even get it off!"

Blinky coughed.

„I did not say it wasn't magical, but it's not a cursed object. In fact, it is a very rare and popular item, traded by merchants from all over the world. It is designed to stay on whatever finger it is on, so no pickpocket could steal it from its owner. Mostly females take interest in these fine accessories, but I once had a similar one in my possessions." Blinky explained, matter of fact, before he turned around and took off to one of the bookshelves.

He returned with a small, black flask, which content he dropped on the ring.

Within seconds, the accessory grew a little and Jim could finally pull it off with a sigh of relief.

He looked at it.

„But if this isn't a cursed ring, why did I had so much back luck in this short time?"

The scholar frowned, obviously lost for an explanation.

„Hmm. Plain bad luck or as you humans like to say 'bad timing', I suggest?"

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 **Sooo I hope you liked this little fun Adventure with Jim and Tobes.**  
 **Happy to read what you think of it :D**

 **Rough ending, I know ^^°  
But I** **'m not sure if I should add the explanations for all the mishapps of Jim, since I wanted** **space for you i** **magination to explain them.  
B** **ut if you want them, I can a** **lways add them later on ;)**

 **PS: the thing with Jim bumping his head on the table while trying to tie his shoe, actually happens to me a lot of times xD**


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